Hamid Waqar

Hamid Waqar was born into a non-Muslim family, grew up in America, joined a gang and went to prison. He later found Islam in prison and after being released he joined the Hawza Ilmiyyah in Lebanon and then Qum, and is today a scholar serving the community. He works in translation and editing of Islamic texts, in addition to speaking about Islam in different places around the world.

The Holy Quran states: “Tell the faithful men to cast down their looks and to guard their private parts. That is more decent for them. Allah is indeed well aware of what they do. Tell the faithful women to cast down their looks and to guard their private parts, and …

The Islamic tradition states that men and women are equal, but different, in the eyes of Allah. The term equality is a loaded term that has been used by politicians and social activists to support their own personal agendas. What does it mean when Islam states that the two genders …

Spiritualism has been metaphorically considered to be a form of intoxication throughout history. As with any metaphor, this overshadows a large portion of what true spirituality actually entails. Many famous poets have referenced wine and drunkenness to express how one feels when in a spiritual state. Shouldn’t one …

Everyone knows, Muslim and non-Muslim alike, that drinking alcohol is considered a sin in Islam. Consuming alcohol is listed as one of the major sins; one of greater sins for which eternal punishment is promised. There are traditions by Imam Musa Kazim (a), Imam Rida (a), and Imam Muhammad …

The Arabic term zina means both fornication and adultery. There are many traditions which state that this is one of the greater sins; one of the sins in which the sinner will be eternally punished, unless he repents. Imams Jafar Sadiq (a), Musa Kazim (a), Ali Rida (a), and …